Barangay Nutrition Scholar – The unsung community-volunteer

By RODRIGO S. VICTORIA, (PIA Biliran)
August 7, 2006

NAVAL, Biliran  –  She performed religiously a tedious regular monthly and quarterly weighing of all children from 0-24 months old and likewise assisted in the annual weighing of 0-71 months old kids as part of monitoring the nutritional status of children in the community, carry-out other equally tiresome work like in providing basic nutrition services and referrals of families to different service providers, assists the barangay chairman in organizing and reactivating the barangay nutrition committee, acted as nutrition action officer and many other nutrition-related functions that required her full attention and dedication.

On top of these functions is the preparation of various reports which needs a lot of mind-boggling mathematical applications, careful presentation of data for better analysis and evaluation of records for purposes of depicting the real nutritional status of the people in the community and for the proper sourcing-out of different kinds of interventions to give solutions to the nutrition-related problems and deficiencies in the community.

These are the difficult and complicated tasks put on the shoulders of a community-volunteer who carried them out without a single groan of hesitation and not even showing a few whisper of disgust even at the expense of receiving monthly honorarium good only for a one day allowance of rich kids at P100. to P300.

This volunteer is one precious member in the community who looks after the welfare and upliftment of the nutritionally-depressed baby boy or girl, the adult men and women and the rest of the constituency who need the gentle caress of her nurturing hands and the warm presence of affection.

This frontliner in the delivery of the nutritional needs of the community with age ranging from 18 to 60 years old heartily swear the Hippocratic-like oath of allegiance of doctor of medicine to provide the best health services for the best interest of the people in the community.

She is the present-day Florence Nightangle who cares and heals not only the sick and the wounded but also offers the best and most accommodating health care services worthy of praise and commendation.

To the dedicated and sincere men and women doing nutrition-devoted community volunteerism, the prize of success lies in the invaluable accomplishments and feat of achievements rests in the immeasurable contentment of the public.

She may not have the adequate educational attainment that the difficult job so requires but to her educational insufficiency is not a hindrance in achieving success in one’s field of work since it can be replenished by the happy and amiable faces of the nutritionally rehabilitated children in the community whom she has rendered her unselfish service.

To Mrs. Leonarda Sanosa Tol, a BNS for almost 20 years now of Barangay Calumpang, one of the biggest barangays in the municipality of Naval in the province of Biliran in terms of household population, the best happiness can only be achieved in the faithful and dedicated service to our fellowmen.

To the 22,000 plus Barangay Nutrition Scholars (BNSs) in the country today, we, who followed every precious trail of your untiring endeavors and we who watched every valuable move of your determined deeds, salute and congratulate the unsung heroes who transformed the malnourished children as well as the unhealthy adult populace back to its normal condition and the nutritionally depressed community transformed into a healthy and strong society necessary in achieving a strong country in general.